Olympus, 28.000 light-years from Earth
Hebe never lusted for power. She didn’t want to have her own sector: it was just expected of her, as one of the daughters of Zeus, to have at least some power.
She didn’t even want to be crowned Divine Empress to succeed her father: it was her duty.
Noriko Null slowly changed her attitude. On paper, the Mortal Empress is supposed to carry most of the day-to-day responsibility of a ruler; Hebe’s job is just ceremonial.
But Noriko’s passion for improving the lives of her subjects convinced Hebe to take a more active role: even now, she’ alone in her throne room busy reading reports from her government.
<May I interrupt, Your Majesty?> Athena asks, standing at the entrance.
<Athena, I didn’t expect you. I didn’t forget an appointment, did I?> Hebe asks humbly.
<No, this is an unscheduled visit. Now that Noriko, the Vanguard and our father are busy in the mission against Baal, I was hoping we could discuss how the Athenian Fleet can better protect the other sectors. My realm does have the largest and most powerful military in the Galaxy, after all.>
<I know. And to be honest Athena, I believe that makes my other vassals uneasy.>
<Why would they be? Have I not been anything but loyal to the Empire?>
<Of course you have, absolutely! I don’t know how we could have got through without…> Hebe pauses, when the familiar light created by the Portal Generator fills the room to deliver a second unexpected guest: Noriko Null herself.
<Noriko? Back so soon?> Hebe wonders.
<I have urgent business to discuss. Among empresses: her presence is not needed.> Noriko says, nodding towards Athena. There’s an unusual level of disdain in her voice.
<I would rather have her stay. Why are you back so soon?> Hebe wonders.
<You will find out in a moment, but I need Athena to leave. I will deal with her later.> Noriko insists, just when the Portal Generator is used again.
<Another one? What is this, don’t we have ushers anymore!?> Hebe complains.
To increase her confusion, the new uninvited guest looks exactly like Noriko; the only differences are the long hair and the black military uniform.
Instantly upon seeing her, Noriko draws her Genius Gun and fires at her; the blast ricochets against a forcefield, but it was powerful enough to shake the whole room.
<What is the meaning of this!? Who is this impostor!?> Hebe shouts, rising from her throne.
<Her name is Rei. She’s a corrupted copy of me, probably here to assassinate you.> Noriko answers, still pointing her guns at her copy.
<I am Rei, Hebe, and you are in grave danger. I came to warn you of Noriko’s plan: she’s the one out to kill you.> Rei states, raising her hands to show she’s not armed.
<Nonsense, she is my Mortal Empress! And she’s the Slayer of Gods, she could have assassinated me a number of times since taking the throne!>
<Then why would she have lured so many of your allies to certain death in Baal’s galaxy?>
<This is a serious accusation. Take some time to reflect on your words.> Hebe admonishes her, pointing her finger at Rei. At the command of the Goddess of Youth, in a couple of seconds the mortal reverts to being a toddler.
<Thank you, Hebe. You played your part perfectly.> Noriko congratulates her, while electricity begins gathering up around her body: a clear sign of the energies of the Nexus in her brain.
<Hold on, there is no need to execute this impostor. There’s been too much death on Olympus already. Deal with her humanely, will you? I have the utmost faith in you, Noriko.> Hebe says.
<And that was your biggest mistake. FINAL ABYSS!!!> Noriko shouts without further warning, releasing an unimaginable amount of pure information towards Hebe.
Hebe wasn’t ready for this. Not that it matters: the Final Abyss consumes her essence, hollowing out her very existence from within; but not before she lets out a scream of excruciating pain.
<What did you do!?> Athena shouts, but before she can do anything she’s also kneeling in pain and holding her head while feeling like a billion needles are growing inside it.
Noriko Null walks towards her, holding a small handheld device to taunt her.
<You self-aggrandized meddler, you HAD to interfere, didn’t you? No matter, I have a backup: remember the God Eraser? This miniaturized version isn’t enough to kill you, but it will buy me time to recharge the Final Abyss.>
Behind her, upon the death of Hebe, Rei’s body has been restored to her real age. Slowed down by her uniform, outstretched while she grew back into it, she’s not fast enough to reach for her own gun: Noriko kicks it away, while pointing the Genius Gun at Rei’s head.
<Nice try, you almost ruined my plan. But “almost” is not enough with me: I am Null.> she boasts.
She hesitates to pull the trigger, distracted by a loud noise that is getting closer to the throne, and fast. It’s only a second, all that it’s needed to run here straight from Hebe’s private rooms by crashing through every single wall in-between.
<WHAT DIDST THOU DO TO MINE WIFE!?> Herakles screams as he breaks through the last wall, which hits Noriko like a speeding truck.
Her personal forcefield does protect her from most of the impact, but it makes her lose grip of the God Eraser device… that deactivates upon hitting the ground.
<I killed her, what do you think? I’m the Slayer of Gods!> Noriko boasts.
<You were.> Athena corrects her: she conjures up a spear in her hand, and with divine speed pierces right through Noriko’s skull.
The Mortal Empress lies impaled to the wall. Sparks from the broken Nexus in her cracked skull leak everywhere, as are her blood and brain matter.
<What didst she!? Where is mine wife!?> Herakles asks, frantically looking around.
The only clue is a shadow permanently etched on the Divine Throne.
<She broke your empire. I came to warn you, but I was too late.> Rei laments.
<She certainly has.> Athena states, looking at the Divine Crown fallen to the ground.
Which flies directly into her own hands.
<Now… I suppose the burden of fixing everything falls on me.> she states.
It takes all of her divine self-control not to burst out laughing.
One hour later, the War Room
Olympus was supposed to be only a symbolic and ceremonial capital, with all the true power of the Empire being handled from Earth. But considering its various invasions, a backup room was prepared in the Olympus palace to connect it to the various command centers.
Athena chose this room to break the news to the upper echelon of the Olympian elite.
<I can’t believe this.> Helen of Troy comments, holding the mask that contains her dangerous beauty closer to her face than usual. Without it, it would be clear she’s in shock.
<Was it the real Null? Couldn’t she have been an impostor, like this one?> Enyo asks, staring menacingly at Rei Null who is currently sitting right next to Athena.
<I have analyzed the corpse. It matches the Emp… it matches Noriko, with no signs of cloning. Curiously, so does our mysterious guest.> Asclepius confirms; the God of Medicine gives a suspicious look at Rei.
<I have examined the damaged Nexus. There can be no doubt that it’s genuine, since nobody can replicate Drylon technology. As impossible as that sounds, all signs point in the same direction: Noriko tried and failed to take over.> Athena adds.
<What are we going to do now!? We don’t have a Divine or a Mortal Empress! Do we just hand power back to our father Zeus?> Helen asks.
<That would be best. This experiment clearly has not worked.> Asclepius shrugs.
<If he ever returns. Baal could keep him occupied for centuries.> Athena replies.
<I will not simply swear allegiance to my father again! We built something new, and even if this “democracy” poisoned a weak mortal’s mind, I will not go back!> Enyo proclaims.
<There is another way.> Athena interjects.
<Let me guess. You want us to proclaim you Divine Empress now.> Helen says.
<It is the only logical choice.> Athena concurs.
<You think the other vassals will agree to that?> Helen replies.
<What vassals? Aphrodite is a prisoner of Baal. The Winter Kingdom? Let us remember that Noriko appointed a braindead Winter King; in retrospect, that was her first step in preparing the ground for a full takeover.>
<Which leaves me. If I swore loyalty to you as my Empress, what would you do exactly?>
<You would maintain power over your sector. I would appoint a temporary regent for Aphrodite and I would depose the Winter King to replace him with a suitable divine vassal; Enyo, perhaps?>
<I swore I would never have a kingdom again.> Enyo replies.
<A pity; I thought you had potential. I will then have to annex the Winter Kingdom directly under my personal control, then.> Athena corrects herself.
<And if I refused to swear allegiance?> Helen wonders.
<I would fight you. Athena has my support.> Enyo says.
<And mine. There is no other god I trust more than her.> Herakles adds; he’s been sitting in silence this whole time, even if his hatred for what Noriko has done is brewing.
<Your call, Helen. I will not force your hand.> Athena lies.
Helen knows something is up. But she also knows she is in no position to oppose the most powerful goddess in this room.
<Very well, you have my loyalty. Convincing the rest of the Galaxy will be a harder sell, Athena.>
<We shall see. I have to verify some disturbing information Rei brought to my attention…>
2 hours after the death of Hebe
Null Tower, New York City, Earth
Nalani Null knows she shouldn’t be in the Operations Room when her sister isn’t present, but curiosity got the better of her. She snuck inside to study the O.D.I.N. personalized interface on the meeting table, which suddenly shuts down as the whole skyscraper loses power.
That shouldn’t happen, thanks to the multiple redundant generators, but then again a squadron of Athenian soldiers shouldn’t be able to teleport into the headquarters of the Vanguard.
She doesn’t even have time to react before a tranquilizer ray puts her to sleep. The soldiers secure the building, while Athena calmly walks towards the interface while instructing her men:
<Arrest everyone in this building. Keep the child and her parents sedated until I give different orders, and scour the city for a woman called Jane Blake. Arrest her as well.>
The soldiers waste no time obeying her orders, while Athena re-energizes the interface.
<Unidentified user. Access denied.> O.D.I.N. answers.
<I don’t need access. I already know all I need, but people must believe this is news to me. Thank you for your service, O.D.I.N., you are no longer needed.> Athena tells the artificial intelligence, uploading a virus designed by Rei for the sole purpose of completely wiping O.D.I.N.’s memory.
2.5 hours after the death of Hebe
Midgard City, Earth
The entire Antarctic city loses power while a military grade forcefield is erected around it, guarded by two Athenian warships in geosynchronous orbit above the planet.
Once the power returns, it’s accompanied by a hologram of Athena projected in the middle of the city; it repeats the same message on every single screen in the city.
<Midgard City is currently under embargo. Its status as the capital of the Olympian Empire is hereby revoked. Please remain calm: the city is now under martial law, under the direct control of the Athenian Federation.>
In the Presidential Palace, Prime Minister Lyra Syzar is frantically trying to make the personal tachyon communicator in her office to work again, when the door to her office is kicked open.
A goddess with angelic wings on her back walks in.
<Nike, am I glad to see you. What is going on? Are we under attack?> she asks Athena’s right hand goddess, who grabs the Lampyrian woman from one her wings and slams her against the wall.
<What are you doing!?> she complains through the pain, feeling one of her wing bones breaking.
<Attempting to arrest a high-ranking member of the conspiracy. Too bad she commits suicide before she could confess.> Nike replies, telekinetically calling to her the gun that Lyra keeps in a drawer of her desk.
<In your dreams! I will fight for the Empire until my death!> Lyra swears.
<As expected.> Nike says, making the gun float to Lyra’s mouth and pulling the trigger.
She makes sure to put the corpse’s finger on the trigger before reactivating the communicator: she has several important calls to make now.
3 hours after the death of Hebe
United Nations Headquarters, Earth
The General Assembly Hall is almost full of representatives from all over the world, but it’s particularly crowded thanks to the number of soldiers of the Athenian Fleet currently holding them hostage.
The men and women in the hall keep their hands over their heads, certainly not willing to make any sudden moves after witnessing the off-world troop the UN’s own security with brutal efficiency.
Two soldiers carry a small projector on the podium, which relays a hologram of Athena.
<Representatives of the governments of Earth. Your planet stands accused of aiding and abetting the attempted takeover of the Olympian Empire. Not all your citizens are considered guilty, but in order to isolate the guilty parties, Earth is currently embargoed from the rest of the Galaxy and under martial law until further notice, under the direct control of the Athenian Federation.>
5 hours after the death of Hebe
Argos, 100 light-years from Earth
The Olympian Senate is gathered in full: there was no way any Senator could potentially lose this general assembly. Mostly because they were individually escorted by Athenian soldiers.
Athena is speaking from the seat reserved for the Divine Empress, with Herakles sitting by her side where the Mortal Empress would normally seat. Helen and Enyo are right behind her.
<Dear subjects. It is with a heavy heart that I must confirm the news: Hebe, our Divine Empress, has been murdered. Even sadder, she was killed by Noriko Null, the Mortal Empress. Alas, in the struggle I was forced to execute the Mortal Empress. The proof of the murder and the identity of the killer are being presented to you in full, vouched by myself and by Asclepius.>
The presence of the Athenian soldiers discourages the Senators from talking to themselves, but there are a high number of mumbled comments as they flip through the evidence presented.
<Regrettably, there is more. A mortal ally of our Empire presented to me evidence that Noriko had been planning this conspiracy for months, and upon inspecting her private residence on Earth I came across disturbing evidence that is also being presented to you. Among the documents now in your possession you will find evidence that Noriko personally ordered the assassination of the last President of the Mortal Republic, Aura Syzar. In addition to that, I am also presenting evidence that both Abyss and Void were only aliases of Noriko to disguise her secret plots, and that Viper was a clone of her directly under her control. As further proof, when Prime Minister Lyra Syzar was confronted with legitimate accusations of collusion, she took her own life rather than face justice. All these disturbing facts paint a clear picture of an overarching plot to secretly become the only ruler of this Galaxy.>
This is the last straw: soldiers or not, the Senators can’t help starting a very noisy discussion.
But Athena continues, simply raising her voice to the point that it’s impossible to ignore.
<In absence of leadership, with the blessing of both my vassal Helen and the husband of our dearly missed Hebe, I humbly accept the burden of healing this deeply hurt Empire.>
That’s enough to make the Senators fall silent. She takes a second to take in the moment.
<I hereby take the title of Empress of the Olympian Empire. With the additional powers and duties of both Mortal Empress and Prime Minister, since both positions are currently vacant. And as my first act of Empress, I hereby enact the following executive orders, effective immediately.
Number one: the Olympian Senate is hereby dissolved. The Senate’s powers will temporarily revert to the Empress until new elections can be held under supervision.
Number two: the Empire is currently under martial law until further notice.
Number three: the Winter Kingdom is hereby dissolved and placed under the direct control of Nike, Empress of Victory, who shall replace the Winter King’s role as vassal.
Number four: the Aphrodite Queendom is hereby put under the regency of Eros, until such time Aphrodite returns.
Number five: worship of Null is now illegal, and the properties of the Church of Null revert back to the Empire.
Number six: members of the Vanguard are now enemies of the state, to be captured dead or alive.
Number seven: any clone or duplicate of any kind of Noriko Null is hereby sentenced to death. An exception is made for Rei Null, who has proven herself a friend of the Empire.
Number eight…>
8 hours after the death of Hebe
Olympus, 28.000 light-years from Earth
It’s nearly impossible for a goddess to get tired, but Athena feels she’s close to experiencing that alien sensation. The past hours have been a whirlwind of historical changes, and only now she has a moment to herself.
Sitting on the throne that used to belong to Hebe; the shadow left by her death has not even been wiped off the wall yet.
At her signal, Rei Null appears in the room thanks to the Portal Generator.
<I have to admit, I had my doubts that they would fall for it.> Rei says.
<I would not have enacted the most masterful coup in galactic history without covering my bases, Rei. Thanks to your unique nature, the Tablet of Destinies was able to stabilize you so much that even absorbing the powers of a Myridian doesn’t cause your duplicates to vanish. Heaven created you so perfectly that you are indistinguishable from Null at an atomic level, but I have to congratulate the acting of your duplicate posing as her.>
<A risky gamble. How did you know I wouldn’t betray out and kill you with Hebe, taking the throne for myself? Or that I won’t do it now?> Rei asks.
<Simple game theory. Olympus would have rallied around me, and my pantheon is a lot harder to conquer than Anubis. And you benefit from my actions, as my unification of the Galaxy will make it much easier for your inevitable attempt to conquer us.>
<So you know I’m still aiming to take over?>
<You are not my first Null, Rei.>
<Speaking of her… it’s not a guarantee that Baal will defeat her. She will be quite angry at you if she ever returns.>
<If she does… when she does… I have taken all her allies, her resources and her reputation.>
<And what about Zeus? Hebe was one of the few of his children he actually cared about, and he knows Noriko was in Baal’s galaxy during your coup.>
<I know my father, Rei. I am his favorite daughter; he won’t dethrone me, especially since he doesn’t want this position anymore. He will swallow his pain wallowing in carnal pleasures.>
<Well, I am thoroughly impressed. You seem to have thought of everything.> Rei admits.
<Of course. You and Noriko might be the smartest mortals in the universe, but I am the Goddess of Wisdom. I always think of everything.> Athena boasts, finally placing the crown on her head.
A farming world in the former Zeus sector
Most inhabitants of this planet don’t know how it’s called, since most of them are illiterate and don’t have any concerns besides tending to their farms.
It’s the perfect little place for Rhea, Queen Mother of the Gods, to take her little baby for a stroll.
For the past months, Hera has been suffering the personal hell of having been reverted back to an infant by Hebe’s powers.
Occasionally Rhea lets her in the hands of the farmers to supervise her naps. Even if this is a backwater planet, the current government has been trying to keep the population informed of what is happening in the rest of the Galaxy and has installed several giant screens to broadcast the galactic news.
It’s under the light of one of these screens, currently repeating Athena’s speech at the Olympian Senate, that someone stands before the charred corpses of several farmers that have been atomized by a blue flame the second that the effects of Hebe’s powers faded.
Now an adult goddess is changing the atoms of the atmosphere around her to clothe herself with a blue dress, after which a blast of energy destroys the screen with Athena’s face.
<You celibate liar! I will get my kingdom back, even if I have to drag Null out of the underworld with my own hands!> Hera swears.
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